Liquid pump



Feb. 5, 1952 R. E. GoRDlNlER LIQUID PUMP '2 SHEETS- SHEET l Filed May 31, 1947 541424444504/ ZaZp/L G01/dini er 2 SHEETS-SHEET y2 LIQUID PUMP R. E. GORDINIER Feb. 5, 1952 Filed May 3l, 1947 Patented Feb. 5, 1952 LIQUID PUMP Ralph E. Gordinier, Quakertown, Pa., assignor to Economy Faucet Company, Newark, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 31, 1947, Serial No. 751,595

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements 1n liquid pumps. It is particularly directed to liquid pumps having gyratory operating impellers,

The particular advantage of a pump of this kind lies in its application for pumping fluids having suspended solid material included therein. The impellers are usually constructed of a somewhat resilient non-metallic material, and because there is a wiping action between the impeller of the pump body, the tendency is for the impeller to carry solids quite readily from intake to discharge without any grinding or mechanical interference between the impeller and the pump body which would deleteriously effect either of these members. Pump bodies are usually constructed of brass or stainless steel or other non-corrosive material and the impeller may be made of a resilient and healable material which will retain its desired shape without any harm done to it in the event that solids become impacted therebetween.

Disadvantages with pumps of this style in the past have resided principally in the lack of a completely effective cycle, a loss being experienced through a portion of the cycle near the upper dead center of the pump as the impeller position changes from suction to discharge in the pump cycle. Still further disadvantages have been the lack of attention to manufacturing simplicity and to problems of wear and breakage resulting from frictional contact between relatively moving parts.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a pump of the class described having a more effective pumping cycle than has heretofore been possible with gyratory impeller pumps. A further object of the invention is to provide an eccentrically driven gyratory impeller pump which may be readily constructed with conventional machine tools using known manufacturing methods and having a minimum number of parts of different design.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a dual gyratory impeller pump having a fluid tight liquid seal between the impellers, which will withstand a substantial amount of wear without a loss of eiciency in the pumping cycle.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved anti-friction bearing for use with pumps of the class described which will give satisfactory operation in the pumping of liquids, which is furthermore not aected by corrosion and which may be used between a metalli@ 6C' centric and a non-metallic impeller,

In the pump of my invention I provide, in part, a dual impeller arrangement, the housing for which is constructed with a pair of identical halves for simplicity of construction and service. Intermediate of the two impellers, the housing is divided by a resilient separator sealing member flanked by a pair of non-resilient abutment plates. The size of component parts is such that, when the pump is assembled, the nonresilient members press against the resilient separator and displace the material thereof radially, so that firm pressure is exerted against the housing and the pump shaft thus precluding the possibility of communication between the two pumping compartments. Wear is taken by the non-resilient materials which are suitably constructed therefor.

The impellers, the housing contours and the intake and discharge port arrangements give a highly efficient pumping cycle without a tendency to back pressures. In a modification of impeller construction I provide the advantages of a resilient surface impeller combined with a core of non-resilient, non-metallic material having improved wearability; and for low friction losses between the non-metallic impeller and its metallic eccentric I also have provided an improved anti-friction bearing.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation view in cross-section, taken longitudinally through the pump of my invention,

Figure 2 is an end elevation view partly in cross-section taken adjacent the left hand pump impeller, on the line 2--2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a plan view of the pump of my invention, partly in cross-section, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the pump of my invention,

Figure 5 is a cross-section view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1 to illustrate pump construction, particularly as relates to the ow of liquid therethrough, and

Figure 6 is a side elevation view of a modified impeller construction for use with the pump of my invention.

In the drawings, with particular reference to Figures l, 2, and 3, the pump of my invention includes a pair of identical housing half portions I llarranged in opposing relationship to form a closed hollow cylindrical compartment for the pump impellers Il with communicating port spacing thereabove. While the particular embodiment of my invention shown is that of a dual impeller pump, susbtantially the same construction employing identical housing halves could be pursued in making a single impeller pump. with slight modifications which could readily be made by persons skilled in the art of pump construction.

Housing portions I are suitably gasketed with each other by means of a circular section resilient gasket member 8 which is placed in a rectangular groove 9 formed by the abutting surfaces thereof, and they are provided with supporting feet I0 suitably drilled for mounting the pump on a supporting base. Housing portions III are also horizontally bored and provided with specially fitted sleeves I2 to provide bearings for the impeller shaft I3 which extends therethrough and to which may be connected a suitable prime mover, as an electric motor. A pair of' metal eccentrics Il of non-corrosive material are fixed to shaft I3 within the housing cylinder, carrying thereon the impellers I I. Roller bearings may be provided, as shown. to reduce friction losses between impellers II and eccentrics I4, or, the impellers may fit directly on the eccentrics.

Impellers II are constructed of non-metallic material such as rubber or synthetic plastic, preferably somewhat resilient, and they are arranged to travel in a gyratory path within the cylindrical housing space under the influence of the eccentrics Il. As shown in Figure 2, impellers II are arranged to travel with their eccentricity spaced approximately 180.

Suction and discharge are produced by a combined rolling and sliding of the cylindrical surface of impeller II against the larger inner cylindrical surface of the confining housing, gradually opening and Vclosing a crescent shaped clearance portion I8 which lies between the impeller and the inner cylindrical surface. A vertically disposed projecting portion Ila on impeller I I protrudes upwardly into a slot I5 located in the top of the pump housing, preventing rotation of the impeller with respect to the housing during periods when the shaft I3 is turning, also separating the intake from the discharge in the pump. A close t is maintained between impellers II and the end walls of the housing assembly, as indicated in Figure l.

In pumps of this class, and presuming that the shaft of Figure 2 rotates counter-clockwise, the pumping or pressure cycle in the left hand pumping compartment of Figure l. starts when the impeller radius I6 closes off the left hand port I9 at a line I 1, as shown in the full lines in Figure 2. As shaft I3 is turned, eccentric I 4 carries impeller Il in a gyratory path to continuously decrease the crescent shaped space I8 below and mainly to the right of the impeller, forcing the liquid upwardly through the right hand port I9. Concurrently, as the liquid is being forced upwardly through port I9', the impeller surface moves away from line I1 permitting liquid to flow downwardly into the pump housing from port I9 and providing a supply which will be discharged during the next subsequent pumping cycle. When the liquid from space I8 has been entirely discharged, the impeller surface I6 will make line contact at Il and will seal off the discharge portv I9' against back pressure.

The radii I5 and I6 which join the vertical portion I4 with the main cylindrical portion of impeller II are critically curved to compensate for the eccentricity of the impeller action and to maintain sealing contact at line I1' beyond the normal gyratory contact of the cylindrical impeller surface with the compartment surface until impeller contact is again made at line I1. When the impeller is in its top vertical position on upper dead center there is no clearance between the surface of contours I6 and I8', and lines I1 and I1', destructive mechanical interference being avoided by the resilient impeller surface. When the eccentric has moved the impeller a few degrees past upper dead center in counter-clockwise rotation, as shown in Figure 2. the impeller surface I6' moves away from line I1' re-opening the right hand port and initiating a new pumping cycle.

Combining the cycle of pumping in two compartments-with the intake and discharge ports of both compartments interconnected and the impeller eccentricity spaced gives a more uniform pressure curve for the pump. The important requisite is to avoid any period of backpressure, which I have'accomplished in suitably curving the impeller II to carry sealing contact with the port openings beyond the normal gyratory contact of a circular impeller at a port opening.

The housing portions I 0 are identical halves to simplify pump construction and likewise to simplify service in the field of operation. Each half is, in itself, interchangeable with the other half,

'including the assembly therewith of the sleeve bearings I2 in which shaft I3 is trunnioned. On the right hand end of the housing a pressure tight closure is effected by placing thereon the threaded cap 20 which engages screw threads machined externally of the bearing support 2|. 0n the left hand end a similar closure cap 22 is threadedly fastened to the bearing support portion 2| with an opening 23 to permit driving shaft I3 to extend therethrough. Intermediate of cap 22 and the bearing support portion on the left hand end is a gasket 24 which may be adjustably compressed to exert pressure radially against the shaft and the interior surface of the cap, giving a sealed joint which will effectively prevent leakage of liquids which may be forced outwardly of the pump through the clearance between the anti-friction bearing I2 and shaft I3.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, each identical half I0 is also provided with two threaded openings 25 communicating with the left and right hand ports I9, I9 in the top section of the pump assembly. As shown in Figure 4, two of these port openings, one on the intake side of the pump and the other on the discharge side, may be closed off as by the pipe plugs 26, and the pipe nipples 21 may be threadedly fixed to the other communicating openings. Any similar arrangement of piping may be used most suitable to the connections desired, or, if it is desirable to connect both intake or discharge to a pair of intake or discharge lines, this may be done.

Referring back to Figures 1 and 3, a divider seal is provided intermediate of the two pump housing halves to segregate the pumping compartments below ports I9 and I9'. This seal comprises a resilient deformable member 30 of rubber or the like flanked on either side by a pair of non-deformable metal compression plates 3|. The shape of the seal and the compression plates conforms substantially to that of the circular inside bore of the housing, extending upwardly into the slot I5. As in the case with the impellers I6. slot I5 prevents the seal 3l and plates 3| from turning with respect to the pump housing during pump operation. I have found it desirable to extend the resilient member into a groove or chamfer 32 formed by the abutment of housing portions I which locates the resilient member centrally of the housing bore. 'Ihe proportions of the divider seal and the pump parts are such that when the pump halves i0 are drawn together by the through bolts I3, with eccentrics I4 and impellers I I included therebetween, there 4will be a tendency to compressA plates 3| between the eccentrics and the impellers and to displace the resilient material of member radially outward, thus filling the chamfer and sealing the two pumping compartments from each other; and also displacing the resilient material radially inwardly against shaft I3 to provide an annular seal therewith.

The roller bearing interposed between im pellers Ii and their respective eccentrics Il to reduce frictional losses consists of a retainer member 35 carrying a series of spaced graphite or graphite impregnated rollers 36. Graphite has the advantage, in a liquid pump, of being entirely non-corrosive and making periodic lubrication unnecessary; also, inasmuch as a roller bearing which operates between rigidand non-rigid members such as between eccentric i4 and impeller Ii, is not subjected to the stress encountered between two rigid members, a graphitic bearing of comparatively low tensile strength may be satisfactorily employed at this location. A small hole I5, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 5 may, furthermore, be drilled down through the projecting portion Ila of the impeller to communicate with the roller bearing and provide a supply of liquid under pressure for purposes of additional lubrication and for cooling.

As an alternative for the impeller construction of Figures 1 and 2, the impeller Il' of Figure 6 may be substituted in certain pumping applications. Impeller il' comprises a rigid core section 40, partly covered with a layer of resilient material such as rubber or synthetic rubber, the rigid and resilient materials being bonded together as by vulcanizing. With a composite impeller of this description\the rigid material may be chosen for qualities of long wear and resistance to breakage while the layer 4| may be chosen to give suitable characteristics for the resistance to abrasion and wear which is necessary on the impeller surface.

Although I have herein made an effort to render my invention more readily understood by describing it in detail with a specific application,

1. In a fluid pump, in combination, a pump shaft, a plurality of impellers engaging over the shaft and adapted for pumping movement during shaft rotation, a pump housing including shaft trunnions, intake and outlet ports and a compartment for the impellers, a resilient deformable compartment divider interposed between the impellers, and rigid plates flanking the divider to compress and displace the material thereof into fluid sealing /ngagement with the compartment surface whereby the compartment may be hermetically partitioned into separate sub-compartments for each impeller.

2. A compartment divider for uid pumps comprising, in combination, a resilient deformable member adapted to be interposed between pump impellers in a cylindrical pumping Vcom-- partment and conforming with the shape and size of the compartment, and non-deformable' means flanking the resilient deformable member adapted to displace the material of the resilient deformable member radially into fluid sealing engagement against the surface of said pumping compartment.

3. A compartment divider for uid pumps comprising, in combination, a resilient deformable member adapted' to be interposed between pump impellers in a cylindrical pumping compartment and conforming with the shape and size of the compartment, and a pair of non-deformable members flanking the resilient deformable member adapted to displace the material of the resilient deformable member radially into fluid sealing engagement against the surface of said pumping compartment.

RALPH E. GORDINIER. v

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 155,722 Gren Oct. 6, 1874 858,594 Gause, et al. July 2, 1907 1,694,783 Johnson, et al. Dec. l11, 1928 1,742,890 Andrews Jan. 7, 1930 1,922,423 Ericson Aug. 15, 1933 1,976,761 Barels Oct. 16, 1934 1,984,664 Teves Dec. 18. 1934 2,295,424 Picut Sept. 8, 1942 2,380,283 Van Ranst July 10, 1945 v FOREIGN PATENTS Number `Country Date 2,337 Great Britain Feb. 6, 1892 808,824 Italy June 17. 1933 779,424 France Apr. 4, 1935 

